Acetylene-gas generator.



C. A. DUNCAN & G. L. SHOUP. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1915.

1,228,302; Patented May 29, 1917.

CHARLES A. DUNCAN AND cnoncn L. srro AMERICAN CARBO LITE COMPANY, OF MINNESOTA.

UP, F DULUTH, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS TO DULUTH, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Original application filed January 15, 1913, Serial No. 742,301.

' 1915. Serial No. 36,332.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES A. DUN- CAN and GEORGE L. SHoUr, citizens of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,

, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to improvements in acetylene gas generators, the object of which is to provide a device of this character in which granular. or dust carbid may be more readily fed to the generator and be more quickly acted upon by water.

This case is a division of our application for acetylene gas generators Serial No. 742,301, filed January 15, 1913 patented July 27, 1915, Number 1,148,364. This divisional application refers particularly to the means located within our generator for passing out the surplus water and residue from the carbid which has been fed'into the apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the present improvement will "be set forth in the fol- .lowing description and drawings in which- The figure in the drawing is a vertical sectional View through the center of our improved generator.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate similar parts, 1 represents the generator tank having at its upper end a removable cover held thereon by means of thumb-nuts 2, whereby access may be readily had to the interior of the generator. ,Extending acrossthe upper end ofthe tank 1 and mounted within. the side walls thereof, a slight distance below the coverof the tank, is the carbid feed pipe 3. Oneend of saidpipe extends beyond the tank and has connected thereto a coupling5, to which is connected the carbid supply receptacle 6. The said coupling 5 is provided with a valve 5 whereby the carbid may be readily shut off from the supply I Pipe 3.

The carhid supply pipe 3, at the center of the tank is provided with any suitable discharge opening not shown in its lower face and surrounded by the depending flange 4; Within the pipe 3 is suitably mounted the helical feed screw 7, which extends into the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917. Divided and this application filed June 25,

coupling 5, and has its inner end terminatmg at a point directly above the center of the rectangular opening within the pipe 3. Said helical screw is provided with a shaft 8, which extends out through the opposite wall of the tank 1, and having means thereon for rotatingthe same, which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The upper end of the tank is providedwlth a water-supply pipe 9, and adapted to furnish a continuous supply of water to the four depending nozzles 10, which surround the carbid as discharged from the opening 4 in the pipe 3. These nozzles furnish four spray-jets of water under pressure which catchthe carbid dust as soon as it is discharged and immediately carry the same under the surface of the main body of water in the tank, thus making it impossible for the dust to surface of the water. and to cause trouble, suchashas been heretofore found in generators where dust carbid has been used.

Connected to the water supply pipe 9, above the four jets 10, is a pipe 11, divided preferably into two sections and having in their upper faces the perforations 12, by means of whichthe water is discharged upwardly against the under side of the cover 2, for the purpose of keeping the latter cool and also adding water to the generator and to fill the entire upper portion of the tank with the precipitating spray which further insures the complete and instantaneous submersion of all dust and also washes the gas of impurities to a certain degree. Connected to the side of the tank 1 about midway of its height is a water overflow pipe 13, which has its lower end extending down within the tank to within a short distance of the bottom thereof. The pipe on the outside of the tank extends upwardly a relatively short distance and is then led ofi to any suitable place of discharge. At said discharge connection we preferably provide a short open-ended vertical section 14, to admit of the free expansion of the water in the event of the sudden depression of the water within the tank. a l

The lower end of the tank is provided with a horizontal shaft 15 which carries a plurality of agitators 16, for the purpose of agitating'the water in the bottom of the tank and thus preventing the collection collect in lumps on the upper of hardened residue thereon. Attention is called to the fact that the blades of the two agitators, which are in the form of propeller wheels, have the blades of one wheel setopposite to the body of the other whereby the sludge and water are thrown from the ends of the tank toward'the center thereof. The arrangement of the blades of each propeller wheel is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Due to the arrangement of the blades each propeller wheel thoroughly mixes one-half of the sludge with the water in the tank. One end of the shaft extends out through the tank 1 and is provided with a pulley 17 by means of which the shaft is rotated. The shaft 15 is provided with a sprocket wheel 22 over which passes a chain 22, said chain passing upwardly over a sprocket wheel 23, carried by the shaft 8, whereby the shaft 8 is rotated for feeding the carbid to the machine, Mounted. within the tank just above the shaft 15 is a float 18 carried by the bell-crank 19 which has a downwardly extending lug 21. The shaft 15 carries a series of lugs 20, rigidly fixed thereon and when the water within the tank falls below a certain level the lug 21 engages the lugs 20 of the shaft 15 and locks the shaft against rotation, This locking of the shaft thereby stops the feeding of the carbid.

Connected to the upper end of the tank 1, is the gas discharge pipe 28, leading to a gas storage tank, or wherever desired. Within the vertical portion 28 of the pipe 28., we install a small vertically disposed water supply pipe 30 having a discharge nozzle 30 in the uppermost end thereof, which discharges upwardly against the concave cap 35 supported by the pipe 30, causing a fine continuous spray of water discharging downwardly within the gas pipe 28 and thus washes and purifies the gas.

We also provide a second gas pipe 31 leading from the generator tank from approximately the same level of the pipe 28, this being a safety discharge and leading well down into the water of the tank as at 32,

so that in the event of an abnormal gas pressure arising within the tank the gas would force out the water, uncover the lower end of-this safety discharge pipe 32 and escape through it to the outside atmosphere. The safety discharge pipe 31 on the outside of the tank is also connected to the discharge pipe28 by cross-pipe 33, having asuitable hu ff al f ere n, so t any P tion of the gas generated may be exhausted to the outside atmosphere through this pipe 1 wh n d sired-v The operation of our device is as follows: The device is set in motion by rotating the p lley .7 y h ndnir n any othe e i e manner, which through the medium ef the Qh' a'ZZ" wid hs preck 23. the shaf 8 is set in motion causing the worm 7 to feed the carbid from the receptacle 6, through the pipe 3 and discharge it through the opening 4 into the tank, it being understood, of course, that the water supplies had previously been turned on and the tank supplied with the proper amount of water. As the carbid is discharged through the opening 4 intov the tank chamber it is immediately caught by the water jet spray from the nozzle 11 and carried directly under the surface of the main body of water in the tank. Water is also supplied through the pipe 11, against the under side of the cover 2, whereby the entire upper end of the tank is filled with a fine spray of water causing any of the dust that is in the tank above the water to be instantly precipitated, thus purifying the gas. WVhen the water within the tank 1 falls below the float 18, the shaft 15 is looked, as heretofore described, which stops the shafts 15 and 8 and causes the feed of the calcium carbid to cease. By this method of continuously mixing the carbid and water as they enter the tank and during precipitation therein it is evident that a continuous discharge of water from the tank is essential and which is provided for by me ns i h di r Pipe 1 s b ve scribed.

This continuous discharge also provides means whereby the residue carried by the water is being constantly removed from the tank which avoids any necessity of the tank eing P io cally cle ed and pen i s f continuous..operation of the device.

As heretofore stated, this particular ap plication refers to the specific feature of keeping the residuum constantly stirred up so that it is carried off by the discharging water, is exceedingly important in the successful working of the machine, in that it avoids the necessity of cleaning out, and permits continuous and uninterrupted operation. 4

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An acetylene gas generator, comprising a tank, a carbid feed the upper end thereof, means for mixing water with the carbid fed into the tank, a transverse shaft cat d adj cen he b m e, ank; i propeller wheels carried the said shaft, the blades of one wheel set opposite the blades of the other, means for operating the said shaft whereby each propeller wheel thoroughly mixes one-half of the sludge with the water in the tank, a discharge pipe having one end adjacent the bottom of the tank and at a point below the propeller wheels, and its other end extending without the tank at the desired water level. I

. 2. An acetylene gas generator comprising a tank, a rotary carbid feed in the upper end thereof, means for mixing water with the carbicl fed into the tank, a transverse shaft located adjacent the bottom of the tank, propeller Wheels carried by the said shaft, a Water and sludge discharge pipe, unitary driving means for the oarbid feed and the transverse shaft, and a float operated by the Water in the tank having means carried thereby for locking the transverse shaft against rotation and thereby stopping 10 the carbid. feed and the propeller Wheels In testimony whereof We hereunto aifix our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. DUNCAN. GEORGE L. SHOUP. Witnesses:

D. C. DUNCAN, I G. B. VAN BUREN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

